The Liberal and National parties sat separately in Parliament 'like divorced parents at a wedding,' The Guardian reports, as the fractured coalition shows no signs of reconciliation.
The split raises serious questions about whether the conservative parties can present a united front against Labor.
The coalition that governed Australia for most of the last decade can't even sit together anymore. This is great political colour, but it's also serious politics - a divided opposition helps Labor, and it shows how the Nationals' lurch right under David Littleproud is creating an unbridgeable gap.
The visual was striking. In Parliament, where seating arrangements matter and signal relationships, the Liberals and Nationals sat in separate sections rather than as a unified bloc. It's parliamentary theatre, but theatre that communicates real divisions.
The coalition partnership between the Liberal Party and the National Party has been a cornerstone of Australian conservative politics for decades. Together, they've formed government multiple times and provided a counter-weight to Labor.
But that partnership has been unraveling. The Nationals under Littleproud have moved sharply right, embracing more hardline positions on climate policy, social issues, and regional politics. The Liberals - at least the moderate faction - are uncomfortable with this trajectory.
The split came to a head over various policy disagreements and personal tensions between leadership figures. What was once managed behind closed doors is now playing out in public, with both parties making it clear they're not rushing to reunite.
For Labor, this is a gift. A divided opposition is far less effective at holding the government to account or presenting itself as a credible alternative government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese must be delighted watching the coalition tear itself apart.
For voters, it's confusing. If the Liberals and Nationals can't agree on whether to sit together in Parliament, how can they credibly claim they'd govern together if they won power? What policies would they pursue? Who would be in charge?
The Nationals argue they need to maintain a distinct identity to represent regional Australia. The Liberals counter that coalition unity is essential to defeating Labor. Both can't be right.
Some in both parties believe the split might actually be beneficial long-term, allowing each party to define itself more clearly. But in the short-term, it's electoral suicide. The conservative vote will split, Labor will win seats, and both parties will blame each other.
Mate, there's a whole continent watching the Liberal-National coalition implode. The divorced parents analogy is perfect - everyone's uncomfortable, nobody's happy, and there's no reunion in sight.
